IHK OOLOGIST 



155 



Until we reached the marsh we found 

 nothing to interest us greatly, although 

 House Finches, Browti Towhees, Horn- 

 ed l^arks, Flickers an<l California 

 Woodpeckers were seen along the way. 

 A noisy family of Bush tits were ex- 

 ploring: the top of an oak and the song 

 of a Yellow Warbler came from the 

 willow thickets. Samuel's Song Spar- 

 rows were abundant in the marsh grass. 

 Adults in ragged plumage and young 

 of the year were secured. 



Just at the edge of the marsh I saw a 

 long bill stick up followed by a head 

 and a long neck. I was not looking 

 for him but it did not take me long to 

 recognize and secure this California 

 Clapper Rail. Having one we thought 

 best to get another. We always try to 

 get two of a kind, sometimes we take 

 two pair of one species The best time 

 for these fellows is just at the begin- 

 ning of ebb tide. Then the Rail begin 

 to run up stream, feeding on the way. 

 Two hunters can work well together by 

 following a tide gut on opposite banks. 

 In this way one or the other will see 

 Mr. Rail as he sneaks in the grass. 

 One man can do nothing as he is sure 

 to drop half his birds on the other shore 

 and to cross is almost impossible on ac- 

 count of the soft deep mud. 



The Rail is a heavy flyer, and slow 

 to rise, much prefer! ng to run in the 

 long grass than to risk himself in sight. 

 We put in the remainder of the day af- 

 ter Rail. By four o'clock we were well 

 tired out but had had a good day. 



Our most effective woik, however, 

 was yet to come. On the way home 

 as we were passing a field, Tad sudden- 

 ly said: "There is a Tom cat."' Well, 

 I have no use for cats and executing a 

 right flank movement I got within 

 thirty steps of the cat before he started 

 for the brush He got most of a load of 

 sixes. He never smiled again. Fur- 

 ther up the creek we saw three more 

 cats, one of which I sent to the land 

 where the small boys cease from troub- 



ling the birds and the Audubonists are 

 at rest, I hope. 



Taking account when we reached 

 home we found seven Rail, two Part- 

 ridges, one Dove and two cats (not pre- 

 served). We had two splendid meals 

 ott" the birds and added the skins to our 

 collection. 



Those cats made me happy for a 

 week. 



I want to repeat what I have already 

 seen in the 0()L0Gist: "Kill the cats." 

 In this mild climate they increase with 

 the rapidity of rats and most of them 

 make an easy living along the creek. 



They are both <lomestic and wild. In 

 town they are good kitty and next day 

 the wildest kind of wild cats. They 

 secure the protection of civilization and 

 the freedom of wild life. We see from 

 one to half a dozen of them every day 

 we go collecting. A cat is able to catch 

 a good many birds in nesting season 

 and if she has kittens to feed the des- 

 truction is much greater. One cat I 

 know of has brought in a bird for her 

 kittens nearly every day. I have a 

 Black-headed Grosbeak which I .took 

 alive, but wing broken, from a cat. To 

 be sure cats catch some gophers ( Tho- 

 momys bottce and are so far a benefit. 



I wish it were possible to give some 

 more conclusive evidence on the food 

 of our cats for I must admit my evi- 

 dence, though strong, is mostly circum- 

 stantial. Examination of stomach con- 

 tents for a hundred or two cats would 

 be a help. 



Ou Guadalupe Island they have prob- 

 ably killed all the Towhees and Short- 

 tailed Wrens. The Petrels are fast go- 

 ing the same way. They are easy prey 

 for the cats who evidently catch them 

 as they enter or leave the nesting bur- 

 rows. Little piles of half-consumed 

 Petrels were found by us in many plac- 

 es on the island. I don't mean to blame 

 the California cat for this but if you 

 ever visit Guadalupe kill every cat you 

 see and a few more. And around your 

 own locality you will probably be pro- 

 tecting the birds by shooting their en- 

 emy, the domestic cat gone wild. 



Richard C. McGregor. 



